Monday, November 26, 2007

Join UNIFEM and ‘say NO to violence against women’

“We need to break through the wall of silence that surrounds violence against women. And we must turn legal norms into reality in women's lives.” - Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, November 19, 2007.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women, or UNIFEM, announced today that, together with UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman, it is launching an internet-based global advocacy initiative, according to Relief Web. “Say NO to violence against women” is a campaign that allows people to add their names to the “virtual” book on the web site www.saynotviolence.org.

The U.N.’s Special Rapporteur on VAW, Dr. Yakin Erturk, has also lent her support to the campaign, which will run until March 8, 2008 (International Women’s Day).

UNIFEM Afghanistan Programme Director, Ms. Meryem Aslan, invites everyone in Afghanistan to lend their support to this initiative with the message:

“Despite the fact that it is not sanctioned by any culture or religion, and is unacceptable to most men and women, across the world violence against women continues to cast a shadow on the ability of the human race to respect one of the most basic human rights – the right to a life free of fear and violence. This cannot be resolved unless all women and men, boys and girls of the world unite and say ‘NO’ to the violence that paralyzes the lives of millions of women across the world.”

According to the article “In Afghanistan, UN and other partners are providing support to the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) in launching the 16-day campaign of ending violence against women. This is an international event that starts on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and continues until December 10, International Human Rights Day for a 16-day campaign, in order to emphasize that violence against women is a human rights violation.”

To support the campaign and “say NO to violence against women,” click here.